Day 1: Full description
Begin your day with a pickup from your hotel in an American Army Jeep. Head to the scenic Bich Dong landscape complex. Upon arrival, visit an ancient pagoda originally named "Bach Ngoc Thach Son Dong" (meaning a beautiful, pure jade pagoda in the deep mountains). In 1774, Lord Trịnh Sam visited and renamed it Bich Dong Pagoda—the "Pagoda in the Green Cave," a cave-pagoda architectural style very common in Ninh Binh. Walk up to visit the Lower, Middle, and Upper Pagodas. From the top, enjoy a panoramic view of the picturesque Tam Coc landscape.
Following this, visit Thai Vi Temple. This ancient temple features an incredibly unique, all-stone architecture. It sits in a valley surrounded by majestic mountains and peaceful, beautiful rice fields. The temple is part of the Vu Lam Royal Step-Over Place, established in the 13th century by King Tran Thai Tong as a monastic retreat and a strategic military base to fight against the Mongol invaders.
Next, board the Jeep to travel to a local restaurant for lunch. Enjoy regional goat meat specialties, including lime-marinated goat (dê tái chanh), crispy rice crust (cơm cháy), and grilled goat meat (dê nướng).
After lunch, enjoy free time to go kayaking on the stream, take a short trek along the water, or find a quiet alcove to listen to the symphony of birds. Paddle through caves, forests, and limestone mountains before returning to your hotel.